Harmony (Parkhurst)

Harmony 
Carolyn Parkhurst, 2016
Penguin Publishing
288 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780399562600


Summary
A taut, emotionally wrenching story of how a seemingly normal family could become desperate enough to leave everything behind and move to a family camp in New Hampshire—a life-changing experience that alters them forever.

How far will a mother go to save her family? The Hammond family is living in DC, where everything seems to be going just fine, until it becomes clear that the oldest daughter, Tilly, is developing abnormally—a mix of off-the-charts genius and social incompetence.

Once Tilly—whose condition is deemed undiagnosable—is kicked out of the last school in the area, her mother Alexandra is out of ideas.

The family turns to Camp Harmony and the wisdom of child behavior guru Scott Bean for a solution. But what they discover in the woods of New Hampshire will push them to the very limit.

Told from the alternating perspectives of both Alexandra and her younger daughter Iris (the book's Nick Carraway), this is a unputdownable story about the strength of love, the bonds of family, and how you survive the unthinkable. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—January 18, 1971
• Raised—Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
• Education—B.A., Weslyan University; M.F.A., America University
• Currently—lives in Washington, D.C.


Carolyn Parkhurst is an American author who has published several books. Her first, the 2003 The Dogs of Babel (Lorelei's Secret in the UK) was a New York Times Notable Book and on the New York Times Best Seller List.

She followed that effort with Lost and Found in 2006, The Nobodies Album in 2010, and Harmony in 2016. Her first children's book, Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly, was co-authored with Dan Yaccarino in 2010.

Parkhurst grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts, the only child of parents who separated when she was two. Parkhurst spent so much time reading, she had to be sent outside to play. Her first story, she says, was written at age three by dictating The Table Family to her mother, the first of her stories to appear in print was for a Halloween contest by a local newspaper, and her first job in publishing came at 15, writing record reviews for a magazine called Star Hits.

Parkhurst received her B.A. degree from Wesleyan University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from American University. Married since 1998 and the mother of two children, she currently resides in Washington, D.C. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved  8/9/2016.)

Book Reviews
In Parkhurst’s deft treatment, Harmony becomes a story of our time, a compassionate treatise on how society judges parents, how parents judge themselves and how desperation sometimes causes otherwise rational people to choose irrational lives.... Parkhurst cements herself as a writer capable of astonishing humanity and exquisite prose, someone whose wisdom parents and their judges should heed.
Washington Post


Propulsive.... Everything from the parents’ desperation to the camp’s creepy vibe feels vividly real, and this provocative page-turner also invites important, broader conversations about autism.
People


[F]amily bonds, modern-day parenting, and the the foundations of cult-like groups, all with nuance and a liberal dose of dark humor.... Parkhurst’s memorable tale features a complex cast of characters and a series of conundrums with no easy answers. Book-discussion groups will be particularly interested in the tale’s numerous deftly explored gray areas.
Publishers Weekly


Narrated by the three female members of the family in alternating chapters that jump back and forth in time, the story maintains an air of suspense.... This blend of literary fiction and domestic suspense is an ideal choice for book clubs. —Laurie Cavanaugh, Thayer P.L., Braintree, MA
Library Journal


(Starred review.) From the first sentences of this unusual and compelling novel...pages turn with the momentum of an emotional thriller.... The characters go straight to your heart. Brilliant, funny, and beautiful monologues that show how deeply Parkhurst understands what she’s writing about. Suspenseful, moving, and full of inspiration and insight about parenting a child with autism.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
1. The book begins In a different world, you make it work. How do you think the Hammonds’ life might have played out if Alexandra hadn’t met Scott Bean? Do you think they’d end up in a better or worse place than they are at the end of the novel?
 
2. What did you think about the pieces written by Tilly scattered throughout the book? Did they help you gain insight into Tilly’s inner life?
 
3. What do you make of Scott Bean? What motivates him? Is he a narcissist, a manipulator, or just someone whose good intentions are hampered by his own personal demons? Do you think he genuinely cares about helping the children and families at Camp Harmony?
 
4. Are any of Scott Bean’s philosophies good ones? Under different circumstances, could a place like Camp Harmony be productive and beneficial for families who are struggling?
 
5. What do you think Tilly will be like in adulthood? Will she be able to overcome some of the issues that make it difficult for her to communicate with other people and function in the world? What about Iris—how do you think these experiences in her youth will affect the kind of adult she becomes?
 
6. What kind of marriage do Josh and Alexandra have? Has it been primarily strengthened or weakened by the stresses of raising Tilly?
 
7. How has it affected Iris to have a sibling with special needs? Do you think Iris has seen any benefits or positive effects?
 
8. What did you think of the epilogue? Is the metaphor of a child born with wings an accurate expression of Tilly’s particular difficulties and quirks?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)

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